The Drowsy Chaperone at Broadway Rose

The lively cast of the Drowsy Chaperone has no "weak link."

“CHAPERONE” IS ANYTHING BUT DROWSY

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

In the six years we’ve lived in Portland, we have attended dozens of theatrical productions (from the “big guns” downtown to our local elementary school). We’ve been consistently impressed by the diversity, scope, and quality of the region’s theater. Nothing, however, prepared us for the sheer entertainment value of Broadway Rose’s production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.” We have seen many of the cast members (uniformly superb) in other shows, at Broadway Rose and elsewhere, but this particular assemblage of script, direction, choreography, orchestra, and cast comes together in that magical way that says “run, don’t walk, to get your tickets!”

“The Drowsy Chaperone” is a newer show, having debuted on Broadway (and having earned five Tony Awards) in 2006. As Director Lyn Cramer says, “This musical comedy is packed full of every gimmick, bit, cliché, and gag from musical theater’s golden age.” For readers unfamiliar with the story – beyond saying that it follows the convention of a “show within a show” we will not attempt to describe the plot. Just see it, and all will be revealed to you.

In an 18-member cast with not one weak link, it is still possible to highlight several performances. Dan Murphy (“Man in Chair”) provides the glue that holds it all together, and he is simply hilarious. His childlike wonder (best ever use of a juice box as a prop) belies his absolute control over the audience, and he is surprisingly adept at singing and dancing his way through practically every role in the show. In lieu of intermission, we are treated to a side-splitting 5 minutes of Murphy eating a Power Bar. That’s comedy!

Gretchen Rumbaugh (“The Drowsy Chaperone”) and her paramour, Aldolpho (Norm Wilson) manage to sing and dance their way through roles written way over the top without descending into annoying buffoonery – a fine line when dealing with the clichés of lovelorn lush and Latin Lothario.

Lindsay Michelet (“Janet Van de Graff”) and Joel Walker (“Robert Martin”) anchor the “play within a play” with their on-again, off-again wedding plans. Michelet’s tour de force, “Show Off,” allows her to showcase her vocal and physical agility while giving her ample room to display her chops as a comedienne. Walker and best man “George” (Jacob Chancellor) form a classic song and dance team (think Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor) and their “Cold Feets” number is a real highlight.

Speaking of dance teams, the two gangsters (Samuel Benedict and Sean Powell) earn several of the evening’s best laughs, and their precision dancing is a joy to behold.  Special mention is also due to Sara Catherine Wheatley, whose ditzy “Kitty” is every dumb blonde in show biz history, and to Thomas Slater, the “Underling” who’s the show’s dark horse. Slater’s officious butler/valet/whatever gives us, with his boss Mrs. Tottendale (Emily Beleele), quite simply the best spit-take scene ever.

Lighting, sound, costumes, and scenery work together to create the glamorous feeling of a classic Broadway show and a stereotypical bachelor’s cluttered sanctuary that somehow manage to share the same space.  Every aspect of this production contributes to its magic, and we cannot overstate our enthusiasm.

The Drowsy Chaperone will be performed at the Deb Fennell Auditorium. Preview performance is August 2 with opening night on Friday, August 3, and performances continue through August 19, 2012. Evening performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Sundays, and on Saturdays, August 11 and 18. The Deb Fennell Auditorium is located at 9000 SW Durham Road in Tigard. Tickets start at $30 for adults, with discounts available for groups and youth. For a full listing of show performances or to order tickets visitwww.broadwayrose.org or call the box office at 503.620.5262.

Westside Theatre: "Your a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

Counting Valentines: Sally (Ashlee Waldbauer) and 
Charlie Brown (Jimmy Holland)
Photo by Ammon Riley

"You're a Good, Man Charlie Brown" plays with two casts at Beaverton Civic Theatre

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

For someone charged with evaluating a show, it is rarely good news that the production is “double cast” (has two separate groups of actors).

However, having seen the first cast of Beaverton Civic Theatre’s “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” we were surprisingly enthusiastic about seeing the show the following week with a different set of actors. Veteran Director Milli Hoelscher’s unorthodox casting choice derives not from her inability to select the “best” cast, but from her ability to envision two very different productions of the same show, using actors whose age and theatrical experience vary wildly.

 Beth Noelle as Lucy

July 20th, we saw the “Charlie” cast, comprised primarily of actors in their mid- to late-teens. July 27th, we saw the “Snoopy” cast, peopled by seasoned actors, some of whom bring decades of experience and formal training to the stage. And, of course, all of them are playing the roles of Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” gang – five very young children and one world-weary beagle.

“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” is a musical about children, and it is accessible to young children (there were several in the audience, and they clearly enjoyed the show) but it is not, strictly speaking, a “children’s show” any more than the “Peanuts” comic is a “children’s” strip.  Through a series of vignettes, some philosophically whimsical and some extremely funny, the actors explore the role of friendship and peer relations in guiding children down the often-confusing path toward adulthood.

Scott Kelly as “Snoopy”

“CHARLIE” CAST

Jimmy Holland’s “Charlie Brown” anchors the show with convincing angst; his fine singing voice shines in both ensemble and solo vocals. Whitney Martin (“Lucy”) plays Charlie’s nemesis to the hilt – brash, brazen, and self-centered. Her extensive theatrical background really shows – she projects a great speaking and singing voice, and her comic timing is excellent. Mitchell Kelly (“Schroeder”) creates the proper intellectual feel for a child prodigy, while reacting with boyish horror to Lucy’s undying passion. BCT veteran Scott Kelly (“Snoopy”) gets the best laughs, many in response to his flamboyantly physical dancing and his comic delivery, particularly when he howls. Rafe Larsen (“Linus”) is also a scene-stealer when he dances – his gangly frame and supple partner (his cherished blanket) allow him to explore a variety of terpsichorean oddities to great comic effect. Last, but by no means least, Ashlee Waldbauer (“Sally”) brings to the role a charmingly childish locution with a solid singing voice and an impossible level of cuteness.

“SNOOPY” CAST

Tom Young as Charlie Brown

Advance note to directors planning a show for July, 2016 – do NOT schedule your opening for the same date as the opening of the summer Olympics! The “Snoopy” cast’s first night audience, a small but mighty band of theater lovers, was treated to a gold medal performance that not only shone, it sparkled. The vocal ensemble work is polished and powerful – by itself, worth the price of admission. Music director Josh Pounders (who also plays Snoopy) is to be congratulated for his fine work in shaping the vocal dynamics of this gathering of experienced talent. 

Pounders’ performance as Snoopy is also impressive – his jerks, twitches, and scratching capture the essential “dogness” of the role, his fine tenor voice anchors much of the vocal ensemble, and he delivers a truly memorable Red Baron monologue. Nick Hauser’s Schroeder is unlike any we have seen before – he brings to the role an intensity that made us really believe he is obsessed with Beethoven and all things arcane (especially his Robin Hood soliloquy in “The Book Report”). Beth Noelle (“Lucy,”) while hopelessly enamored of Schroeder, never loses sight of her primary obsession with herself. She IS the queen, and never allows the audience to forget it. Lucy’s little brother Linus, as portrayed by Lincoln Thomas, is wise beyond his years and provides a perfect foil to his sister’s egomaniacal ranting. Jessica Reed (“Sally”) is simply hilarious – her timing is precise, vocal inflections spot-on, and she shows great skill in physical comedy. Tom Young is superbly cast as Charlie Brown – alternatively pathetic, philosophical, self-effacing, yet eternally hopeful that despite evidence to the contrary, things will somehow work out right. Young is a fine actor who brings a surprising depth of character to this comic-strip role.

Mitchell Kelly (“Schroeder”) and Whitney Martin (“Lucy”)

Accompanist David Rivas is the only performer who appears in both casts, and for this we are immensely grateful. He is a superb musician whose deft piano work moves the show along as surely as Hoelscher’s fine direction.  The sets are simple but effective, appropriate to the minimalist style of Schulz’s comic strip.

The two casts are alternating dates throughout the run of the show, so there is ample opportunity for “Peanuts” fans, musical theater buffs, and those wishing to introduce their kids to live theater to see either (or both!) casts.

“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” is playing at the Beaverton City Library Auditorium through August 5^th. Remaining performances of the “Charlie” cast are 8/3 at 8:00 p.m. and 8/5 at 2:00 p.m.  The “Snoopy” cast appears 7/27 at 8:00 p.m., 7/28 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., 7/29 at 2:00 p.m., and 8/4 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

The Sound of Music at Broadway Rose

Broadway Rose hits all the right notes with a classic

A 'flawless' Maria leads the production that boasts impressive sets and some 'unexpected' yet welcome characterizations

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

Within the last two weeks, we have had the honor of seeing the current generation of von Trapp Family Singers (they were absolutely fantastic!) and the pleasure of seeing Broadway Rose’s fine production of “The Sound of Music” – the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic loosely based on the story of the original singing von Trapp family.

Perhaps more than any other classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, “The Sound of Music” is a singer’s show, and thus a perfect fit for Broadway Rose. Under the musical direction of Alan D. Lytle, the vocal ensembles were often stunning, especially the numbers featuring the amazing harmonies and dynamics of the nuns’ chorus. Lytle also capitalized on the singing ability of his leads, most of whom delivered consistently superb solo performances.

Leah Yorkson’s “Maria” was a delight – charming and vocally flawless. Her playful interaction with the children captured the essence of Maria’s duality – a naïve child-woman able to relate to the youngest, mentor the older children, and ultimately respond passionately to Captain von Trapp. In addition, she’s a first-class trouper whose professionalism shone during recurring microphone problems in the first act (which happily were resolved by intermission). Imagine singing “Lonely Goatherd” to a packed house when your mic fails (and the other seven don’t). Without missing a beat, she amplified her projection and more than held her own. Kudos also to conductor Lytle and his orchestra for immediately adjusting the musical volume.

Isaac Lamb gave one of the best interpretations we have seen of Captain von Trapp – less martinet and more paternal, which made his growing affection for Maria more believable. Lamb made it easy to understand why, despite several years of emotional remoteness, his children still eagerly sought his attention and approval. In addition, his smooth baritone added a powerful foundation to the ensemble numbers.

David Sargent (“Max Detweiler”) and Jami Chatalas Blanchard (“Elsa Schrader”) lent their considerable comedic talents to the production, taking a bit of the edge off the descending darkness of the Nazi takeover. Sargent’s “Max” was urbane, effete, and self-effacing without going over the top, and Blanchard’s “Elsa” was more self-consciously wry than devious and scheming – an unexpected and welcome touch.

Other standout performances included Lindsay Jolliff (“Liesl”) and Collin Carver (“Rolf”), whose rendition of “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” gave them the opportunity to display both their vocal and dance skills. Margie Boule (“Mother Abbess”) soared in her rendition of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” but her singing was not the only strength she brought to the role – she displayed a sensitivity and empathy that really brought the character to life. Of course, the von Trapp children en masse were bubbly and charming, and their enthusiasm kept the audience engaged throughout.

Director Sharon Maroney set a rapid pace that kept a long show moving nicely (the production included all of the songs written for the original Broadway cast). Her grasp of both the characters and the era ensured that her actors conveyed the show’s many themes. As we have grown to expect with Broadway Rose, the sets and lighting were superb.

For those who are not familiar with “The Sound of Music” this is a great introduction – and for those who know and love the show, it is a lovely visit with a dear friend.

“The Sound of Music” plays June 28^th through July 22^nd at Tigard High School’s Deb Fennell Auditorium.  Evening performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Sundays, and on Saturdays, July 14 and 21. The Deb Fennell Auditorium is located at 9000 SW Durham Road in Tigard. Tickets start at $30 for adults, with discounts available for groups and youth. For a full listing of show performances or to order tickets visit www.broadwayrose.org or call the box office at 503.620.5262.

'The 39 Steps' at Theatre in the Grove

Dennis Kujawa (left) as Hannay draws suspicion from salesmen
Zachary Centers and Justin Canfield.



Theatre in the Grove takes '39 Steps' Toward Comedic Perfection

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

Imagine Harpo and Chico Marx (if Harpo talked) as 50% of the cast in an English drawing room murder/mystery.  Add a leggy cross between Dietrich, Garbo, and Lucille Ball. Mix thoroughly with one poor sucker of a straight man, and you have a pretty clear picture of the marvelous cacophony that emerges from Theatre in the Grove’s current production of “The 39 Steps.”

Centers (left) takes on a variety of roles
opposite straight man Kujawa (right).

    
     The story is, to a large extent, irrelevant – the show exists as a vehicle for four hard-working actors and one sound effects guy to have an exceptional amount of fun on stage. In this farce based on a 1935 Hitchcock movie based on John Buchan’s 1915 novel, a befuddled Canadian is lured from London to Edinburgh on a spy quest somehow related to 39 Steps and the murder of the mysterious Annabella. Mayhem ensues, and the four actors face the challenge of leading the audience through a chaotic maze of plot twists, quick changes, dreadful accents, and belly laughs. Luckily for all of us, the Theatre in the Grove cast is up to the task.

     Dennis Kujawa takes on the thankless role of the straight man, Hannay, but still manages to earn his share of laughs – particularly in the physical comedy of the early scenes where he narrowly eludes a menacing cigarette holder only to find himself trapped in an easy chair beneath the rigid body of the newly-deceased Annabella. As the only character in the production who plays only one role, he provides a modicum of, if not sanity, at least continuity.

Kristen Behlings (left) impresses in her first
production with Theatre in the Grove.

     Kristen Behlings brings a wealth of experience and exceptional versatility to the stage as she moves from femme fatale Annabella to the oh-so-proper Pamela to horny Scotswoman Margaret. In her first production at TITG, she delivers a variety of accents, displays exceptional physical agility (wait until you get to the scene with the handcuffs!), and shifts seamlessly from one stereotype to the next. Whatever she’s doing, she is consistently hilarious.
   
     Zachary Centers and Justin Canfield are only identified in the program as “Clown” and “Clown” – thus, we have no clue about who was who. Luckily, it doesn’t matter – they were both funny.  The two quick-change artists play a plethora of roles. Need spies? Burglars? Conductors? Little old ladies? Cops? Doddering innkeepers? The world’s greatest memory expert?  Just send in the clowns! Gender, age, occupation, nationality, even height are no barrier as long as they have enough hats, wigs, skirts, and falsies – and at least 3 seconds in which to reinvent themselves.

Canfield (left) warns of interferring
with the 39 Steps.

      The show is fast-paced, and as with all comedy, timing is everything. Director Dan Harry obviously understands this precept, and draws from his cast exactly the right mix of slapstick and melodrama. With the assistance of Mark Ferris (listed in the program as “Foley Artist” but actually a one-man special effects team), Barlow provides the Forest Grove audience with a memorable comedic experience.

Theatre in the Grove’s “The 39 Steps” runs through June 17^th, with performances at 8:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights and 2:30  p.m. Sunday matinees.

Westside Stage: Beaverton Civic Theatre

'The Miracle Worker' Works for BCT

15-year-old Hayley Rousselle gives a "flawless" performance as Helen Keller.

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

Beaverton Civic Theatre’s second show of the season, “The Miracle Worker,” opened to a full house last Friday – and garnered a much-deserved standing ovation at the end of Act III.

 The classic play is favored by high schools and community theater groups primarily because of the power of the story but also, in part, because it can be done with minimal sets in a restricted space. The show rises (or falls) on the strength of its cast, with few external bells and whistles to augment the individual performances. Director Doreen Lundberg has assembled a wonderful cast and draws uniformly skillful performances from her leads and supporting actors.

Tonja Schreiber (left) as Annie Sullivan

“The Miracle Worker” revolves around the dramatic interaction of a young Boston-Irish teacher, Annie Sullivan, and her charge, ten-year old Helen Keller, who is locked within herself by a lifetime of blindness and deafness. Tonja Schreiber (“Annie”) shows impressive power in her portrayal of the fiercely determined neophyte teacher, fresh out of school herself and sent to 1880’s Alabama to work with the most challenging subject imaginable. Her task is complicated by the good-hearted but obstructive indulgence of Helen’s family, who have made no effort to discipline or control their daughter. Schreiber manages to convey the obstinate determination of the young teacher while revealing the self-doubt that plagues her character as she battles on in her quest to liberate Helen from the prison of her disability. Schreiber also shows admirable consistency and restraint in her Irish accent – it is subtle enough not be distracting or comically stereotypical.

Rousselle embodies the willful Keller.

Fifteen-year-old Hayley Rousselle gives, to our eyes, a flawless performance as young Helen Keller. Although the challenging role may appear to be almost entirely physical, Rousselle captures, in addition, the keen intelligence trapped inside Helen’s almost impermeable shell. Through 2 ½ hours of nearly constant presence on the stage, Rousselle is able to faithfully express for the audience a sense of what it must have been like for the confused, willful, and often terrified Helen Keller before she learned to communicate with others.

 Despite the story’s inevitable focus on the two main characters, “The Miracle Worker” is by no means a two-person show. At the point that Annie Sullivan came into her life, Helen was not, in fact, a blank slate – her persona had been shaped by her family’s loving but fruitless efforts to help her. At the story’s beginning, the parents are emotionally exhausted by years of false hopes raised by quacks and ineffectual doctors. Don Bellairs (Captain Keller) is, on the surface, a classically domineering Southern patriarch – but time and again he exposes his core of solid marshmallow by yielding to Sullivan’s demands. Even in his troubled relationship with his son James, he reveals his love for his family and makes confused but sincere efforts to get it right. Bellairs is so convincing in expressing this duality that one suspects that these qualities, like his Southern accent, are real.

Don Bellairs as Captain Keller.

Valarie Griffiths Brown portrays Kate Keller (Helen’s mother) as heart-breakingly optimistic. Despite being worn by years of attempts to cope with the extraordinary demands of raising young Helen, she immediately opens herself up to Annie Sullivan’s unorthodox methods. Brown captures the archetypal “steel magnolia” – appearing to yield to her husband while using her quiet determination to preserve her family.

 After seeing Scott Kelly (James Keller) in several BCT comedy productions, it was nice to see him in a serious dramatic role. Helen’s stepbrother James occupies a tough place in the family dynamic – he carries the burden of being the eldest son, desperate in his inability to live up to his father’s expectations, bitterly unwilling to embrace his stepmother as a surrogate parent, and resentful of the family’s focus on Helen and her special needs. Kelly effectively conveys the challenges inherent in his awkward position, and allows the audience to empathize with him despite his oft-sardonic manner.

 There were a few small opening night glitches, including the occasional muffed line. More important, there were some problems with the audibility of recorded sound bites. Since Annie’s back story is heavily dependent on the sound bites, we hope that these problems will be quickly addressed.

 Over the past couple of years, we have seen steady progression in Beaverton Civic Theatre’s offerings – and “The Miracle Worker” is another solid step toward excellence in local community theater.

“The Miracle Worker” is playing through May 13^th at the Beaverton City Library auditorium. Performances are at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Theatre Review: 'The Andrews Brothers' at Broadway Rose

Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer

Pictured from left are Norman Wilson, James Langston Drake, Louise Stinson, and Adam Davis



Broadway Rose’s “The Andrews Brothers” - S.R.O. for the U.S.O.!

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

With its vibrant production of “The Andrews Brothers,” Broadway Rose Theatre Company brings two hours of non-stop ‘40s-style musical entertainment to Tigard’s New Stage Theatre. The company, from start to finish, draws everyone into the production – first by honoring any WWII veterans in the audience, next by recognizing all veterans present. Whether it was at Guam, Kyongson, Da Nang, or Kabul, the United Service Organizations (U.S.O.) have been bringing a slice of home to U.S. soldiers since 1941, and this show is an affectionate tribute to the U.S.O.’s many years of service.

 
The set-up is simple – the Andrews Sisters have a show at a military base in the South Pacific for a group of soldiers going off to battle the next day. Three stage-hands, brothers who are frustrated entertainers, have developed a repertoire of musical numbers that they can never hope to perform on stage. When pin-up gal Peggy Jones (Louise Stinson), the warm-up act, arrives the stagehands pretend to be back-up singers and the foursome rehearses a series of WWII-era classics. Word comes in that the Andrews Sisters have been quarantined and the show is to be cancelled. In the best musical-comedy tradition, of course the show must go on. Unwilling to disappoint the troops (and eager to showcase their talents), Act I closes as Peggy talks the boys (conveniently named Patrick, Max, and Lawrence Andrews) into doing the show – in drag, as Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne. In Act II, the set is transformed into the actual U.S.O. show, and voila! The theater audience fills the role of the battle-bound troops.

Almost all of the show’s songs are ensemble numbers, capitalizing on exceptional vocal harmonies while showcasing each performer’s individual abilities. The near-flawless performances are as much a tribute to Jeffrey Childs’ musical direction as they are a reflection of the cast’s uniformly strong singing voices.  The few solo numbers belong to Stinson, who fluidly shifts from her girl-next-door persona to sultry vamp depending on the demands of the song. Adam Elliot Davis (“Max”), James Langston Drake (“Patrick”), and Norman Wilson (“Lawrence”) blend beautifully, and their comic timing is impeccable. Through a combination of directorial sleight-of-hand and sheer breath control, they are able to sustain rapid-fire, demanding vocals through a hilarious series of tumbles, climbs, pratfalls, and splits that would demolish many contemporary artists. Despite the stereotypical plotline, all four cast members succeed in creating believable and likeable characters who thoroughly charm their audience.

Special recognition is due to pianist (and conductor, and music director) Jeffrey Childs, bassist Jonathan Lakey, and drummer Rene Ormae Jarmer, who carry the entire musical score of the production.  The first-act set was simple, but amply fulfilled its purpose to establish the foundation for Act II’s stunning transformation into an “actual” U.S.O. stage.

Finally, kudos to director Dan Murphy, who clearly understands the music and mores of the show’s era and guides his talented cast and crew through the process of creating a magical escape for his audience.

“The Andrews Brothers” runs through May 20 at the Broadway Rose New Stage in Tigard. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays – Saturdays, with 2:00 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.

Theatre Review: Chicago at TITG

Theatre in the Grove's Production of 'Chicago' has heat

Review by Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

Jody Coffman as Velma Kelly

If you’re going to do a brassy show, you’ve got to come on strong – and that’s exactly what Theatre in the Grove is doing with their jazzy rendition of “Chicago” that runs for the next two weeks.

From the opening notes, belter Jody Coffman (as Velma Kelly), the ensemble, and the lively 20’s style orchestra lets you know who’s in charge. Velma’s “Mermanesque” rendition of “All That Jazz” sets the stage for a rapid-paced series of vaudevillian numbers that define, with comic-book clarity, the sordid stories of a fictional group of Chicago’s most famous murderesses. Frequent narrative interjections ensure that, despite minimal dialogue and sets, the audience is told exactly what is going on. This is a singing and dancing show, and Director Ken Centers, along with Vocal Director Justin Canfield and Choreographer Ember Eastman take full advantage of their cast’s abilities.

Jenny Hauser as Roxie Hart

The show’s central focus is on two murderesses awaiting trial, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart (Jenny Hauser). Both leads more than carry the weight of their parts in singing, dancing, acting, and comic timing. Hauser successfully captures Roxie’s enigmatic personality – superficially innocent, but with a stunning inherent amorality. Coffman is equally skilled at portraying Velma’s hard-as-nails exterior while expressing her fundamental vulnerability.

Other standouts include James W. Grimes’ turn as sleazebag lawyer Billy Flynn and Brandon B. Weaver’s heart-breaking performance as Roxie’s helpless schlemiel of a husband, Amos Hart. At times, Grimes seems to channel Al Jolson with his broad gestures and robust, rolling vocals. Weaver’s big number, “Mr. Cellophane,” captures Emmett Kelly more than Bert Williams, but still effectively expresses the pathos of the role.

Director Ken Centers

Supporting cast members Pruella Centers (Matron Mama Morton) and Brittney Spady (Mary Sunshine) provide an interesting and entertaining counterpoint to the sultry murderesses with whom they interact.

The entire show runs smoothly – the sound is crisp and clear, the orchestra does not overpower the vocalists, and the lighting does a great job of setting the locale and enhancing the mood for each scene. Costumes deserve special recognition, for they are evocative of the 20’s, but are cleverly designed to express the ambiguity of the individual performers’ personalities.

If the enthusiasm of the nearly full-house opening night crowd is an accurate gauge, “Chicago” is being embraced by its community – as well it should be!

“Chicago” is running at Forest Grove’s Theatre in the Grove April 20-21 and 27-28 at 8:00 p.m.; April 22 and 29 at 2:00 p.m.